I am intrigued by the persistent human inclination to connect with the broader natural world, especially when we model ourselves after other creatures/living things. This might be most obvious in the realm of clothes and adornment. This goes well beyond wearing representations of animals or other creatures (although those are the kinds of vintage garments that inspire this post). This is an echoing, in our human way, of the colors, patterns and arrangements of the feathers, fur, and design of other animals. And here we find only the beginning of the multiple and complex avenues this could lead us down. Where admiration could be predatory (killing leopards for the profit of their fur, crocodiles for their skin, birds for their feathers) or disruptive (when closed ecosystems become tourist destinations for the curious as well as the sincere) or benevolent (raising awareness of the existence and circumstances of species). This is the serious side of this conversation, what I want to draw attention to here is the celebratory side of this issue–with contemporary artists who, quoting nature, create something theatrical, something joyful, something of a spectacle. These gestures are reverential, analytical, often loving and, absolutely breath-taking.